Erdogan accepts offer to hold talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul
- Alina Kvitko
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13:45, 11 May, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Erdogan on 18 February 2025. APTurkish President Recep Erdogan has accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer to hold talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on 15 May.
This was announced on Sunday, 11 May, by the presidential administration after a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.
He said that efforts to end the war in Ukraine had reached a historic turning point.
«President Erdogan stressed that a historic turning point has been reached in efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, stressing the importance of seizing this opportunity,» the statement said.
As a reminder, on 11 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his desire to resume direct talks with Ukraine, which were suspended at the end of 2022. He also said that he planned to address Turkish President Recep Erdogan with a proposal to organise the talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin' s proposal for direct talks, calling it a «good sign». However, Zelenskyy stressed that a ceasefire is needed before a real dialogue with Russia can begin.